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Mabalacat in 1983-84 in Angeles City, Philippines re Polio
Immunizations (Index)
RC Mabalacat Membership in 1983-84 was 27. It was in D 380
at that time and Bruce McTavish served as President.
The following were gathered from the Rotary Club of Mabalacat’s
Weekly Bulletins which have been bound and on file at the club’s
office. Ron
From November 22, 1983
By Rtn. Ben Pennell –
Saturday 12 November 1983 saw the
Rotary Clubs of Angeles West and Mabalacat join the
kick-off of a Anti-Polio Drive. Five members of Mabalacat
and a contingent from RC Angeles met at Café Valenzuela along
with twelve Midwives from the Dau Rural Health Center and three
from the Mother of Perpetual Help School of Medicine.
These individuals split into working groups and departed to the
rural areas including David St.
Magsaysay, Mabiga, Homesite, Camachile, Laoandola, and
Paralayunan.
Interesting to note that in most cases the children were not
waiting and with the help of the Midwives the word spread and
speaking for myself and most of the other we accomplished the
project like a salesman – DOOR to DOOR. Really a very enjoyable
treat for those of us fortunate enough to be involved. If you
can remember the day when your friends were stricken down, many
died, and many were paralyzed with no cure in sight. Now
we can at least see that over five hundred young children who
might not have received a total of six little drops of vaccine
over a three month period that insures they will never be
stricken with that dreaded disease. Our records indicate
that RC Mabalacat immunized a total of 330 children. That
coupled with vaccinations by RC Angeles and RC Angeles West will
give children of Mabalacat a good start.
The next immunizations will be given on the 10th of December.
For those of you that want to assist driving, holding, caring,
you will get a real feeling of serving for just a few hours of
your time. Sign up with Dir Jim and enjoy the 10th
of December….Not to forget, the Mabalacat Drum and Bugle Corps
were also on hand for this project.
President’s Corner by President Bruce McTavish
“Many things have happened since our last regular meeting.
The most noteworthy being our club’s participation in a Polio
Vaccine Drive throughout Mabalacat.
Last Sunday (November 20th) Dir Ralph and I (Pres.
Bruce McTavish) attended a Polio Vaccine Drive with RC Angeles
and RC Angeles North- this completed the first phase of a three
part mission.
The joint meeting attended by the eight clubs in Pampanga was
held at the Shanghai Restaurant and the American Ambassador was
the guest speaker.
President’s Corner by President McTavish
Last Saturday morning our Polio drive started off with the
orphans who I invited; taking the vaccine at the Café
Valenzuela. After that, Dir. Jim, Dir, Paul, Editor Ben
and Rtn. Ken for the second month in a row took the vaccine to
the distant Barrios. President Ted from RC Angeles and
President Bito from RC Angeles West were among the Rotarians
from the other clubs.
THE WEEK THAT WAS BY Rtn. Ben Pennell from Bulletin of Dec
13, 1983
The next day (Dec 6th) President Bruce and myself
accompanied by our Anns traveled to
Manila for the visit of RI Pres Bill and Ann Skelton.
Pres Bruce received the Presidential Citation from President
Skelton. This Citation was signed by the RI President and
all the Philippine District Governors. President Bruce
received his Paul Harris Fellow award
at the same program.
Saturday morning saw us in action in the Anti-Polio Drive; the
Mabalacat club coupled with RC Angeles West, RC Angeles, and RC
Angeles North.
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At the recent
(November of 2001) District
3790 TRF Workshop, I was given a copy of a fax from
PP Dave Rosmer to PP Bruce McTavish which provided much of
the information used in the story below. I wrote the
following as an editorial column for the RC Mabalact weekly
bulletin for Dec 4, 2001
and wanted to share with fellow Rotarians. (Ron
Nethercutt)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Did you know that the Rotary Polio Plus program began in the
Philippines, and that RC Mabalacat laid the cornerstone for
that event? In 1983 the Rotary Club of Mabalacat under
President Bruce McTavish conducted a comprehensive drive
that immunized thousands of children in Mabalacat, a city in
the province of Pampanga, about one hundred kilometers north
of Manila. With the success of that initial drive, plans
were made for future immunizations in later years.
In 1985 Rotary International announced its polio plus drive,
signaling the beginning of a worldwide effort. In 1986 RI
finalized their project plans and Angeles City/Mabalacat was
selected as a pilot area for polio plus in the Philippines.
The three Mabalacat Presidents who succeeded President
Bruce, PP Rod Uyengco, IPP
Dave Rosmer, and President Paul Bevan, all played key roles
in the initial planning under PDG Ben
Henson (MD) and PP
Ted Suarez of RC Angeles.
President Paul began planning for the polio plus
immunization drive in Mabalacat while the one in Angeles was
still continuing, and he received assurances of support from
all the area Rotary Clubs. The Ministry of Health for Region
III and the Pampanga Rural Health Office assisted with
remaining details. CP Pieng Hipolito, of RC Mabalacat,
chaired the executive committee.
Chairman for the physical setup, Dr., and incoming VP,
Erasto Aquino played a pivotal as head of Mabalacat
Hospital. As such, he was able to call on medical officers
and midwives under his jurisdiction to complete an initial
survey that showed months approximately 1,500 patients aged
to 12 months, who would be targeted. His staff also
complete maps of each barrio (small community) and assisted
in coordinating with barangays, (government unit) officials.
The Mayor's
office also was involved and secured the cooperation of
barangay captains. Finally several key issues, such as
medicine and medical procedures had to be coordinated with
the Minister of Health for Region III office.
The Pampanga Rural Health Office and the Angeles City Health
Office were especially helpful in providing materials and
medicine that were not available.
In addition, the
Angeles University Foundation School of Nursing provided 100
student nurses to assist with the project.
On Sunday morning, February 15, 1987, workers at Mabalacat
hospital and began assembling the drug packets that would go
with each of the eighteen teams to thirty immunization
sites. Each team consisted of one Rotarian and several
midwives, student nurses, and barangay health workers. Each
team leader had been briefed in advance and received maps
directing his to his barrio and had visited the site to
insure that all was in readiness.
Now, nearly fifteen years later, the world has only a few
places in which the dreaded disease of polio still exists.
Rotary International has declared the year 2005 to be the
year that this terrible disease is to be erased from the
face of the
earth. The Rotary Club Mabalacat can proudly say that it
played an instrumental role in the beginning of this most
notable goal.
Thanks to PP Dave Rosmer, former military base historian
for supplying much
of this information.
PP Ron Nethercutt
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